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1,319,874. Pawnd 0er. 28,1919.

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lli s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN XIRBY, JB., F DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 THE UNITED STATES HEAD-LIGHT COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

rocUsING nvioE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

` Appication med October 15, 191B. Serial No. 258,254.

To ali whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Klaar, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Chio, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Focusing Devices, of which the following is a specificittion.

M invention relates primarily to electric headlights and has for its purpose to provide mechanism for adjusting the filament of an incandescent lamp to the focal point of a parabolic reflector, as set forth in my pending applications, Serial Number 219,383,

filed August 12, 1918, Serial Number 251.913, filed August 29, 1918, and Serial Number 253,678. filed September 12, 1918` from all of which my present invention differentiates in certain articulars not de- 420 scribed, or claimed therein but which will bc made clear in this specification'and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof. p

In headlights of the type to which my invention is applicable it is essential that the center of illumination be located with accuracy in respect of the focal point of the rcfiector and to this end my invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

The invention is illustrated in .the accompan mg drawings, which constitute a part O nient onball 15. the said band beingr se aof t is specification and in which Figure 1 is a side view showing the device, assembled and mounted in its position with relation to the' reflector, the same being shown partly in full and partly in section; Fig. 2 is a rear view of the saine, except that the reflector and its supporting stand are removed; Fig.

. 3 is a rear View of the bail holder and attachments thereto, the upper portion being broken awayand sectioned through the ccnter thereof; Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the ball as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a sectional ,45f view of the bal'l through the line AA Fig.

1; Fig. 6 is a sectional View of the 'ball `below the line BB Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the separate member which carries the screws for securing the socket holder in position in the ball; Fig. 8 shows a modiieetion of the ball shown in Fitz, 1; Fig. 9

shows a modified type of ball,` in section through the center thereof, the saine being .shown hollow with lugs formed integral 65 therewith for receiving the retaining screws.

l `and Fig. 1t) shows a modification of the re taining band.

Like reference numerals indicate corrsponding parts throughout the drawings. l represents a portion ot' the retiector, thel front end ot' which may be mounted upon any suitable slide or base. as'2, in the usual manner, not shown. the rear of the reiiector, the apex of which is cut away at 4 leaving an opening correspending td the inner diameter of the said ring 3. At the bottom of and preferably integral with the said ring 3 there is a luterally disposed arm or bracket extension 5 having` a depending screw threaded member (i. which in conjunction with the standard 7 and nuts 8 und 9 constitute means bv which the rear end of the i'efiector is :id iustably sup iorted upon the base 2 as more-fully descri ed in my previousapplications. above ieferred to. The free end of the bracket 5 is )rovided with an interiorly screw threaded ss 10 to receive a correspomling exteriorly screw threaded plug l1` haring an enlar'ed head 12, which seats against. the upper end-of the boss 10. and when these parts 'are screwed together they may be protected against displacement by means of a pin 13. as shown in Fig. 1. The head 12 is cupped to receive a ball and to it there is securely attached aV retaining band or ring 14 having the contour of and forming a support for a spherical eleratcd, `crosswii-ie thereof, at 16. This ban is formed out of sheet in'etal,` preferably by a spinning process which hardens the metal and imparts spring quality thereto so that when the band is separated as above described it becomes self expansible and will spring open sufficiently to allow the'ball to be inserted therein and when so placed wit-hin the. band the latter may be contracted and caused to embrace the ball tightly, by means of a thumb screw 17 having a rounded shoulder 18e; a smooth p ortion 19, and n. screw threaded portion 20, the latter engaging a screw threaded lug 21 secured to the band, adjacent its point of separation, and the said smooth portion operating through a clearance perforation in a lug 22, ,secured to the hand opposite the lug 21, the rounded shoul- A ring 3 is secured to,"

der 18 impinging the outer face of 'said lug Thus by'turning the thumb sclew'in by turning` it in the opposite direction the bund will expand'b its own spring power und the grip on the hall will be relieved and the same will then be free to be moved, spherically, within the band.

Through the "enter of the hall there is a channel 23, within which is slidably mounted a tubular member 2l, which extends rearwardly from und carries a lamp socket 25, and which is considerably smaller in diameter than the lamp socket, the socket carrying an incandescent lump 26 having a filament 27 designed to be located central with the focal point of the reflector, indicated at X. Current conveying wires, not shown, pass through the tubular extension for connection with the lamp socket, in the usual mnnner. Below and in open communication with the channel 23 there is a longitudinal recess .28 which extends through the ball and in which there is located n sheet metal spring 29, having ends bent downwardly to retain the spring within the recess. Normally, this spri is curved, as indicated by dotted lines in ig. 1, but when the tubular extension is in its` place the spring is forced downward, between its ends, and exerts ielding pressure on the said extension, whic prevents movement thereof except during the applicationv of manual e'ort when adjustment forward or backward is being made.

The extension 24 is preferably square in cross section, and it is provided, at its free end, with a rounded collar 30 for convenience in adjusting the same.

Immediately above and parallel with the channel 23, and opening therein, there is an i )per channel 31, which extends through txiie ball, the latter being cut away thereabove, forming spaces 32, 32 and shoulders 83, 33". Within this channel 31 there is litted a mem-ber 34, provided with upwardly extending lugs 35, 35* which engage the said shoulders and prevent end-wise movement `of Said member, which is otherwise held in place by means of a screw 36 passin down from and through the top of the bal the purpose of the member 34l being to receive set screws 37, 37, by which the tubular extension 24 may be secured against undue movement after it has been adjusted to its proper relationfwith the focal point of the reflector. When the screws 37, 37n are set tension of the spring 29 against the under aide ofthe tubular extension 24 is transmitted to the said screws and prevents undue movement thereof, which is liableto occur by reason of jarring and vibrations incident to e rapidly movin locomotive or other vehicle uponwhich t ie headlight may be installed.

In order to prevent the ball from moving on the ball is relieved., by turning the thumb screw 17, the screw plug 1l is provided with a vertical chamber 38, which also extends through and is in open connnmnicntion with the inside of the band, and located within this chamber there is a coiled sprinig 39, one end ol which bears against the bottom of the chan'iher while its opposite end bears against the under side of a movable block 40 having its upper end cupped to the contour of the surface of the hull and against which the block is forced by the pressure of the spring, thereby impartinga steady movement to the ball during the operation of adjustment thereof.

It is to be understood that when the device is assembled and mounted in position in the headlight but little adjustment will be required, to accomplish which the operator loosens the thumb screw 17, and the set screws 37, 37, and then moves the ball about in its retaining band, or moves the socket extension, 2l, forward or backward as may be necessary to bring the lamp filament in proper relation to the focus of the reflector.

In the foregoing, I have described the referred embodiment of my invention. It 1s obvious, however, that the details of construction so described, and illustrated in the drawings, may be departed from in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention, w iich I do not wish to be understood as limiting to such exact details: For example, the ball is shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5 and (i as being solid, except as to certain cut away portions hereinbefore referred to, this construction being preferable where wood, celulloid or other light material is employed, but when the ball is cast in brass or iron, or other heavy material, it is desirable that its weight be reduced by the cor ing process, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. In case the ball is cast in sand and re uires linishing to size, the member 34 shou d be emplo yed in the manner shown in Fig. 1. But w ere the ball is die-cast and no finishing is required, lugs similar to 35, 35* may be cast integral with the ball, and the member 34 may be dispensed with, as shownin Fig. 9. hen, again, the 1 tainingr band may be formed in two sections, hinged to a screw plug 11, as shown in Fig. 10, adapted` to engage the boss 10 of the bracket extension 5.

Other modifications obviously may be made without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. 'In a device of the character described, the combination of a retaining band having the contour of and adapted to encircle and support a. spherical element therein, an element havin a spherical surface operative within said and and provided with a channaiven nel therethrough, a lamp socket carried by a reduced extension member slidably mounted in said channel, means for contracting said band to secure said element therein, and a'. spring located in and extending through the body of said element adapted to exert pressure against said extension tracting said band to secure said element t therein, a recess formed in the body of said element longitudinally of and in open communication with said channel, and a spring located in said recess adapted to exert pressure against said extension member in opposite direction to that in which the same is adapted to travel.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a retainin band having the contour of and adapte to encircle and support a spherical element therein, an element having a spherical surface operative within said band and provided with achannel therethrough, a lamp socket carried by a reduced extension member slidably mounted in said channel, means for contracting said band to secure said element therein, a spring located in and extending through the body of said element adapted to exert pressure Vagainst said extension member in opposite direction to that in which the same is ada ted to travel, and means carried by said e ement to secure said member against movement in said channel.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a rctainin band having the contour of and adapte to encircle and support a spherical element therein, an element havin a spherical surface operative within said band and provided with a channel merethrough, a lamp socket carried by a reduced extension member` slidably s mounted in saidV channel, means for contracting said band to secure said clement therein, a recess formed in the body of said element longitudinally of and in open commurnication with said channel, a spring located in said recess adapted to exert pressure against said extension member in opposite direction to that in which the same is adapted to travel, and means carried by said element to secure said member against movement in sarid channel.

5. In a device of the character described, a sirngle spherical element having a channel therethrough, a lamp socket carried by a reduced extension member slidably mounted in said channeha spring located in and extending througyh the body of said element adapted to exert pressure against said extension member in opposite dlrection to that in which the same is adapted to travel, and a retaining band having the contour of and adapted to encircle and support said spherical element therein, in combination .with a reflector and means for connecting the said band thereto.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a single spherical element having a channel therethrough, ai lamp socket extension slidably mounted in said channel, a retaining band having the contour of and encircling said element and constituting a support thereforz means for contracting and expanding said band to tighten and loosen said element therein, lugs carried by said element and coperating with screws to secure said extension against movement in said channel, a recess in o n communication with said channel, an a spring located in said recess adapted to exert pressure against said extension.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in the i'esence of two witnesses this 30th day of geptember, 1918.

JOHN KIRBY, JR.

'Witnessesz NonMAN. JONES, OLIVE SMITH. 

